Doll-eye mounting



Dec. 2S 1926.

l.. YA'GQDA DOLL EYE -MOUNTING med April 24. 1925 Louig Ya jW7 INVENToP goda ATroRNY Patented Decn 28, 1926..

LOUIS YAGODA, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

DOLL-EYE MOUNTING.

Application filed April 24, 1925.

This invention relates to dolls, and particularly to the construction of movable eyes for said dolls.

In doll heads of small sizes, it has heretofore been customary to cut off the top of the head in order to provide access to the interior of the headL for securing` the eyes inL place. My invention contemplates the assembly of the eyes through the neck of doll heads of any of the usual and even small sizes and contemplates further a simplified construction whereby the manufacturing cost and the cost of production of the eyes are both considerably lessened as compared with the persent types without in any way det-ractina from the efficiency of the operation of said eyes.

The various obiects of my invention will be clear from the description and illustration of the preferred embodiments of mv invent-ion shown in the drawings, in which,-

Fig. 1 is a central vertical section of a ldoll head showing; the eyeballs in the open or awake position thereof.

Fia'. 2 is a similar section on the line 2--2 of Fig'. 1.

Fia. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3 3 of' Fien 2 showing the head turned into the asleep position of the doll, and showing*` the eyeballs in the closed position thereof.

Fie. 4 is a perspective view of my im.- proved eyeball unit. y i

Fig. 5 is avertical central section of the doll head showingr a modified form of mountina for the eyeball unit, and

. Fia'. 6 is a horizontal section of the same talren on the line 6,-'6 of Fig. 5.

In that embodiment of my invention illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. a` preferably central extension or bridee 10 is molded, cast,

or pressed so as to proiect inwardly on theV inside of the doll head preferably midway between the eyeball sockets 11. While said bridge 10 is made preferably integral with the remainder of the head. it will be understood that said bridge or extension may be` made of a separate piece suitably secured in place. The horizontal width of said bridge 10 between the eye sockets is sufficient to provide a bearing of the desired length for the eyeball connecting' and operatingV shaft 12, as will more clearly be pointed out hereinafter. In said bridge 10. a horizontally disposed groove 13, the height and depth of which is preferably substantialy the same as the diameter of said shaft is made to extend Serial No. 25,534.

inwardly from the vertical inner1 face 14, said groove beingv open at said face for the easy insertion of the shaft 12 thereinto. The horizontal disposition of the groove makes it possible to pass the shaft 12 with the eyeballs 15 secured thereto up through the neck and through the open end of the Igroove into place in a single movement with ease and i certainty. Said open end of the groove 13 @b may be closed in any suitable manner after the shaft has been inserted thereinto for preventing said shaft 12 from slipping out of the ,qroove 13. For this purpose lf have P' illustrated a wooden block 30, adapted to bc if glued or otherwise secured to the inner surface 141 of the bridge 10. I have found that the sockets 11 are suflicient to prevent displacement of the eyeballs after the shaft 12 r is sealed in the groove therefor. For caus- P ine; the eyeballs 15 and the shaft 12 connecting said eyeballs to rotate in their sockets 11 and in the aroove 13 respectively. 1 provide a preferably U-sha-ped member 16 preferabl-y of a single inteQ'ral piece of material, 30 connected to the shaft 12 in any suitable manner as by means of the screws 17. lfn order to cause said member 16 to serve as a weicht to rotate the eyeballs and to further serve as a stop to limit the rotation of said eyeballs in either direction, I prefer to fasten said member 16 to the shaft 12 near the A upper ends 18 thereof. the lower portion 19 thereof having' suflicient leverage to turn the shaft 12 on the rotation of the head as will be more fully described hereinafter. vvContact of said ends 13 with the inside of the doll head stops the rotation of the shaft 12 and the eyeballs carried thereby in one direction. the roundedend 19 of said member serving as a stop to limit the rotation of the eyes in the opposite direction by the enlcarrement thereof with a portion 2O of the bridge 10,v or by the engagement thereof with any other part of the inside surface of the doll head.

To assemble my improved device, the eyeball unit 31 is passed up through theneck opening` 21 of the doll head and the shaft 12 inserted in the groove 13. One face of the securing member 30 having; first been covered with cementingmaterial of any desired nature, such as ordinary glue, said member is then pressed into contact with the flat inner surface 14 of the bridge 10, whereby the open end of the groove 13 is completely sealed and closed, and the shaft 12 lil secured permanently in properly aligned position, with the eyeballs fitting into and maintained in place by the sockets '11. It will be seen that even though `y,the 4opening 21 is barely of suiiicient size to permit the entrance only of the eyeball unit F81 and fone finger of the operator, it is a simple mattei' to slip the bar l2 intopositioninthe groove .and then to insert .the member 80 thereover. vIt will vfur'there'be seen Vthat this 'operation may be carried out :in a single movement rapidly and effectively Vby unskilled labor without 'the necessity for cutting openthe Adoll jhead or V'for 'otherwise injuring .said 4head, and 'that the vexpense fof 'assembly is thereby considerably reduced over 'the Ipresen't methods.

In "that "modification of fmy invention shown in Figs. 5 and 6 thejgro'ove 13 .in the )bridge `10 :is dispensed with and said bridge made -considerablysmaller, sothat it may -`project into 'the interior of :the 'head a 'cornparativelyfshort distance. It Willbe understood, `hoyveve1,"that said bridge may be entirely dispensed with, if desired, anda projection substituted therefor oy gluing or 'otherwise 'attaching a Wooden, composition Lor otherstrip ofitlie'proper size at'theprop- Ver fpoint on the inside of saidheadbetween Jthe 4eyeiso'clkets "11. .In this form olf mylin nvention, 'the shaft l2 4is vmaintained in position by means .zof .the 'cross 1bar'2'2, .in one end of 'which is cut the 'preferably :horizontal Vgroove 'Q3 and Y.the other end "24 of 'which passes through a .suitable opening 25 inthe doll ihead, and .is bevelled vand finished off "Sto correspond withltheaouter contour 'of said head. A suitable .groove as 26 preferably of the cross sectional :size and shape of the Ycrossbar 2`2'may be :made .in .the bridge 'l0 'erin the piece substituted therefor, so that fthe jgrooved end 'of `said cross bar may be glued for-.othervvise quickly fastened in said jgroovefZ. 4For assembling this Iform ofmy `.improved .mounting the eyeball 1unit 311 lis 'passed upthrough Ithe neclrhole 2l vas Vhereinbefore described, the eyes being 4placed Iinvto `lthe :sockets .in `suitable .alignment and registration. 'The cross bar 22 isthenpassed through the .openingfl until the groove 23 is engaged by the shaft .12 and the end 27 thereof 'enters and is secured in the groove 26, "it being understood that 'the -cementing material has first been placed on the .ends '27 and` Q4. Said cross rodQQ'ispushedinto .said `:groove 26 as .far -as Epossible or until 'the shaft l2 reaches theinnermost .end of Vthe groove 2B.

'It will rbe seen that vvhen my Vimproved Amounting is assembled, `one element -ofthe ,cylindrical shaft l2 contacts 'Withthe inner surface 14 Vofthe bridge xv10,'andtlie diametrically opposite element of said shaft contacts -with'tlie innermost 'part of the :groove '23, whereby said shaft 1Q is securely sup-l u ceive sai 'g-ported for lits 'rotative movement. It will :ble and 'not likely to =get 'out of fonder, and

is Well adapted for commercial production on :a large scale.

1. "ln a -doll head having eye lsockets therein, afpair of'eyeballs arranged in said sockets, a straight-one piece H'horizontal shaft @joining said eyeballs, "a i-shaped member ofia single piece of-material o`fsubstantially luniform cross-section throughout `secured angentially 'near vthe upper yends `thereof to said'shaft at points near 'the center lof said eye-balls and `a `bridge termed integrally with land continuous -W'ith l'the inner surface Ao'f vsaid head in spaced relation to the ends of said U-shaped member and projec'tinjginvwardly nf.saidheadibetween said eye sockets .and having a lhorizontafl groove therein y'for `Vholding said -sh'aft rotatably 'in place, and in 'Which said shaft may "beplaced by the insertion thereof {through rrthe neck of said fhead.

2. In a doll headhaving eye soclretsftherein, a 'pair jof "eyeballs, la straight, one-,piece horizontal shaft .joining said eyeballs and adapted tobe'arrangedinplace in'one operationthrough the vneck of said heath a lhori Vzontal'ly 'grooved projectionextending from and yintegral vwith said l`head adapted to red shaft, -a- Eiiat, substantially vrectangular face lying in a verticalplane-'on 1the inner surface 'of' 1sa'id projection, a rectangu- 'lar prismatic member fof v-su'bs'tantir-.lily Athe same size as said ffacesecured tosaid face in substantial registration ytherewith "for Imaintaining said `shaft in operative `position in lthe groove of said ,project-ion, and weighty means extending slightly above vsaid eyeballs and below :thebottom edge of said projection securedto said shaftin spaced :relation to vsaid projection.

`lzna doll headliaving eye sockets therein, a -ybridge 'formed'integrally with and of 'the same Jnaterizl as said lhead terminating in a substantially' 'vertical lplane 'inner face and extending inwardly of said head, and having a groove extending horizontally 'therein 'from sa-idinner face,'eyeballsin said sockets, a straight vone-.piece'shaft secured to said eyeballsacross the centers thereof land adapted to enter said groove to na point at `which the outermost :element thereof lies .iin substantially ,the same plane as said inner face, la 'ineniber having .a 4"iiatouter :surface secured to vsaid inner face Cfor preventing 'said shaft from leaving and from displacement in said groove, and a single piece of bent Wire secured to said shaft in spaced relation to said bridge and serving as a Weight for moving said shaft and as a stop for limiting the rotation of said shaft.

Ll. In a doll head having eye sockets therein, a bridge formed integrally with and of the same material as said head terminating in a substantially vertical inner face continuous with the inner Wall of said head and having a groove extending horizontally therein from said face, a .straight horizontal shaft adapted to enter said lgroove to a point at which the oute lmost element thereof lies in substantially the same plane as said inner face of said bridge, means secured to said inner face for preventing said shaft from leaving said groove, and a U-shaped member of a single piece of material ofthe saine cross sectional size and shape throughout secured to said shaft near the upper ends thereof and adapted to rotate said shaft on the rotation of said head and to limit the rotatable movement of said shaft by the alternate engagement of the upper and lower ends thereof with the inner surface of said head respectively.

5. In a doll head havingl eye sockets therein, a horizontal eyeball carrying shaft, means securable to the inner surface of said head for rotatably maintaining said shaft in place, a combined stop and Weight member consisting solely of a single piece or heavy Wire circular in section, bent into U-form and secured to said shaft, near the ends of said shaft, an upper portion on said member projecting slightly above said shaft and adapted to engage the inner face of said head for limiting the rotation of Caid shaft in one direction, and a lower portion of said member adapted to rotate said shaft by the Weight thereof on the rotation of said head and further adapted to engage the inner face of said head for limiting the rotation of said shaft in the opposite direction.

6. In a doll head having eye sockets therein, an eyeball carrying shaft, means having a horizontal groove therein closed at the top and bottom and at one side thereof supporting said shaft in said groove, means for closing the open side of said groove for preventing said shaft from leaving said groove, and a combined stop and Weight member of a single piece of Wire of circular cross section throughout bent into a U-form, secured above the center thereof to said shaft, near the ends of said shaft for rotating` sait shaft on the rotation of said head and for limiting the rotation of said shaft in either direction.

7. In a doll head having eye sockets therein, a bearing, a straight horizontal eyeball carr in@- shaft innsaid bearinf` and a member of a single piece of heavy Wire of circular cross section and bent into substantially upright sides with a substantially semi-circular bend joining said .sides and secured above the center thereof to said shaft for rotating said shaft on the rotation of said head and for limiting the rotation of said shaft in either direction.

8. ln a doll head having eye sockets therein a pair of eyeballs arranged in said sockets and held against transverse movement thereby, a bridge extending inwardly of said head bet-veen said eye sockets, terminating in a vertical rectangular fiat inner face lying in a single plane and continuous with the inner Wall of said head, and having a groove eX- tending horizontally therein from the said face, said groove being closed at the top and bottom, and at one side thereof, and open at said vertical face, a horizontal shaft connecting said eyeballs, adapted to substantially lill said groove, and adapted to be arranged in place in said groove through the neck of said head in one operation, a rectangular prismatic member having a face of .substantially the same size and shape as said inner face securable to said vertical inner face in substantial registration therewith adapted to close the open side of said groove for preventing said shaft from leaving said groove and a til-shaped combined stop and Weight member of a single piece of heavy Wire secured near the upper end thereof to said shaft for rotating said shaft on the rotation of said head, and for limiting the rotation of said shaft in either direction by the alternate engagement of the upper and lovver ends of said U-s iaped member with the inner surface of said head.

9. A combined stop and Weight member for an eyeball unit, comprising single piece of heavy wire of substantially circular cross section throughout` bent to form a pair of substantially parallel arms," and a circular bend joining` said arms, and means for securing` said arms tangentially to said unit at a point near the ends of said arms and said unit, and Where said arms meet said unit.

l0. An eye unit for a doll head comprising a pair of heini-spherical eyeballs, a straight shaft joining said eyeballs, a U- shaped unitary member of a single piece of material of circular cross-section throughout, and having` a pair of substantially upright arms and a semi-circular bend joining said arms and a pair of .screws passing through said arms near the ends thereof and into said shaft near the centers of the respective eyeballs.

LOUIS YAGODA. 

